Jaimoe Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 When I originally bought my two $100 Who tickets, I had with me the knowledge that John Entwistle had recently and foolishly passed. It mattered little because I still had to go. It was my duty to go. You see, I had to see for myself whether this old warhorse had any kind of spark or magic left. This band has meant everything to me musically. I've been a fan of The Who since 1976 ( when I was eight ). I've listened to their music, watched their movies, read their books and articles, I even caught solo concerts from The Ox and Townshend. It's safe to say that my fascination with all things music begins with the exploits of Townshend, Moonie, The Ox and even Roger. With that, I was more than a little skeptical that this halved version of the once mighty Who, one of the greatest live rock band of the 60s, 70s and early 80s would be able to, at least, put on a decent if not a moderately enjoyable show. Well I was wrong. They put on a fucking unbelievable show! The fans in a packed Air Canada Centre Saturday night was treated to a great rock concert by this still innovative band. From the first chords of the opener, " I Can't Explain " through to " Who Are You " ( the 4th tune ), The Who really kicked out the jams. But before I get started, I have to single out Pete Townshend's guitar brilliance. Pete was in fine form all night long. His solos on " I Can't Explain ", " The Relay ", " Sea And Sand ", " Who Are You ", " Amazing Journey ", " Sparks ", " Eminence Front ", and " Won't Get Fooled Again " were all unpredictable and technically aggressive. He delighted and shocked me, especially at how different his lead guitar playing sounded compared to the last time I heard him live ( at Massey Hall in 1992 ). Pete's guitar work has always been innovative and inspiring, but I think he's one of the few guitarists of his era, or any era, that tries and succeeds to consistently re-invent his playing - actually, he's one of the few guitarists of the 60s era that has gotten better ( Jeff Beck excluded ). While Pete's guitar style of the 60s and 70s was raw and sonically destructive ( check-out " Young Man Blues " on The Isle Of Wight cd ), using " power and volume " to great effect, the Townshend Saturday night resembled something of a rock hybrid. He still has the raw power and volume, but Pete also sounded like a jazz/fusion guitarist too - one that would have made Frank Zappa proud. In one moment, Pete would rip complex jazz solos right into his patented hammering power chords. Pete stretched out many times whenever he took a solo, always to the delight of the adoring, sold-out audience. Extended jamming dominated much of this concert, done almost exclusively by Pete, but keyboardist John Bundrick had moments of inspired playing too. " The Relay " could have easily fit into Bonnaroo soundtrack. Anyone who thinks The Who can't jam is nuts. It's great to know that Pete's guitar imagination is alive and well. Note to all guitar enthusiasts, Pete played a couple of electric Strats for the entire show - no acoustic guitars. He did have an acoustic switch type pick-up effect on the neck of his guitar. As Pete told the audience, and I paraphrase: " This is a fucking excellent American-made guitar. They sucked for 10 years, but they are great guitars now ". They sure sounded good Pete. With Townshend's young foil Zak Starkey ( Ringo's son and Moon disciple ) on drums, The Who assaulted the audience with inspiring versions of their " Maximum R & B " classics and rock anthems. Mod favourites: " The Kids Are Alright ", " Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere " and " My Generation ", all some 37 years old, sounded surprisingly fresh and were played with welcome enthusiasm. Roger was in good form. Daltrey kept his voice for the entire show; something he wasn't capable of on the last Who tour in 1996-97. Even though Roger is one year older than Pete, he looks ten years younger. The few trademark tricks in Roger's repertoire were on full display too: the two tambourines and his trademark twirling microphone made appearances. It was also good to see Roger and Pete joking a lot on stage together. They've never been close, but if there's anything positive that could come from John's death, it is that maybe Pete and Roger could become better friends. Speaking of John Entwistle, his replacement, skilled session-man Pino Palladino, held a good account of himself, given the difficult circumstances. His style is a lot less lead-bass compared to that of John's, but his imagination and skill impressed me. Still, it was eerie when I looked to the left on the stage, seeing the lights dimmed, with no Entwistle in sight. Even more jarring was the bass solo in " My Generation ". It was a little creepy hearing the most famous rock bass solo played by someone other than The Ox. Zak Starkey held a good account of himself. He should be a full member of the band. Zak embodies the exuberance of Keith's playing, but has a professional aggression that often escaped the self-destructive Moon. Zak's thundering drumming really shone on sing-alongs: " Baba O'Reily ", " Won't Get Fooled Again " and the almost metal " Who Are You ". Pete's brother, Simon Townshend on rhythm guitar backing vocals and long-time silent-Who member John " Rabbit " Bundrick on keys rounded out the rest of the band. They were steady all night and never stepped on Roger, Pete and Zak. The three song " Tommy " encore was a great way to end this show. Last song " Pinball Wizard ", the song that propelled them to super-stardom, ended their tour and is maybe the band's last song ever as The Who. If it is, it's a great way to go out. I think the sold-out ACC crowd would agree. I went into Saturday's show with little enthusiasm, with a show-me attitude. But Roger, Pete and the boys did " show me " and filled my night with " enthusiasm " again for The Who's legacy and music. David " Jaimoe " Ball Sept 30, 2002 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern Wish Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 Nice review....... I was wondering what this tour was going to sound like. Thanks Jaimoe. S Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 wow Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shainhouse Posted October 1, 2002 Report Share Posted October 1, 2002 Nice, I tried to get the $50 seats this week but they were all sold out and I sure couldn't afford the $250. Glad it kicked ass. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kung Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 It's an Eminence Front It's a put on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bouche Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 Thanks for another great write-up Jaimoe! ----------------------------------------------------- Hey do any Kingstonian's remember this article that was run a few years back in the Kingston Whig Standard? If you've never read it...it's cool read. Also, the drummer "Chris McCann" mentioned in the story is a local jazz great that taught a friend of mine for a while. I was invited over with him at the end of high school to 'jam' with the pros. Hahaha...i had NO idea what the hell I was doing, and just sat there and listened, holding my strings with my hands...pretending to play Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaimoe Posted October 2, 2002 Author Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 My cousin was at that 1968 show in Kingston. She thought it was great. How could it not have been? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MoonBeam Posted October 2, 2002 Report Share Posted October 2, 2002 That was a great review, thank you!! In 1980-1981 (can't remember exactly!!) my friend and I took a bus to Toronto to see the Who with Joe Jackson. What a show!! It was crazy. People were throwing things at Joe Jackson (like bottles etc.) He yelled at the crowd and left the stage. The crowd was insane, the place was absolutely packed with every kind of person you can imagine. my friend and I were in general admission and got to walk around and party with the folks down there. Just to give you a sense of what the place was like, I found myself right in the middle of a biker soccer game - they were using a bike helmet as a ball! Then the Who came on stage and played the most amazing show I had ever seen. They were wild. That tour was touted as their farewell tour! That was a long time ago... Ahhh the memories.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martman Posted October 9, 2002 Report Share Posted October 9, 2002 that show was actually 10.09.82 I was there too! martman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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